TEACHING WRITING ACROSS GRADE LEVELS -- JIGSAW ACTIVITY
DIRECTIONS & YOUR RESPONSIBILITY:
Now that you've highlighted your grade level chapter, work with your jigsaw group featuring members who read Interactive Writing, Awell, and Urbanski and present the most salient parts of your chapter briefly and then generate answers to the questions below. You can also consider any of the videos from the Writing Workshop wiki page as one of your texts for consideration as well. See what you are able to identify in common with your reading and what might stand out as well.
You may work collaboratively on your Google Doc and then choose an archivist from your group to post your ideas directly on your wiki page below. Your ideas should be posted during Class 6 when we will share and discuss them together.
1) What are you learning new about approaches to teaching writing and also writing workshop (especially in terms of how it is different than the on your cluster, grade level, department, or school employs now and/or the chapter that your grade level group read about)?
Teaching writing in high school is equivalent to teaching students how to access knowledge except it is literally all in their mind. Free writing is emphasized as a great approach to teaching writing. Students will be able to write topics of interest. Free writing is a major part of the invention process. At times students may prefer that the teacher choose the topic but the work produced will not be as insightful if this method is used. The writing workshop is a time for students to freely write. There is a major emphasis on the word free.
Modeling for high school students is the most effective way to help them write. Modeling behavior is to show students how teachers write and the process of brainstorming and revision. Students see that you don’t just *have* a perfect draft the first time you write, needs several revisions. And students should feel comfortable and be allowed to make mistakes. A daybook is the best way not journal or diary. Plus, the author mentions that freewriting is not a waste of time.
In the middle grades, writing requires frequent and adequate time (at least three days a week) devoted to it in the classroom as well as outside of it. Reading should also be seen as an important component of the writing process. Students should be encouraged to talk and collaborate with one another, and should be seen as real writers who might publish works. When workshopping students should be encouraged to act with some independence. Students should be allowed to read works that they choose; however it is the teacher’s job to act as a guide to more literary work. Lectures should give the expectations for what students do in a workshop, but teachers should also be writing, reading and talking about both with their students.
2) How do the approaches to teaching writing and implementing writing workshop presented in the texts compare and contrast?
While in the middle grades, teaching writing seems to revolve around encouraging students to read and interact with the texts, as well as to impress on them what is expected of them in a social writing environment, high school writing instructors seem to be focusing on establishing ways for them to write better. It is already assumed that high school students have the motivation to write.
In addition, for high schoolers, they are primarily focused on grades and time--they want to write for a certain grade, not for the sake of writing, and they are controlled by the duration of writing, rather than allowing it to freely escape their minds and take the time for the revision and editing process. Thus, teachers can implement the writing workshop by writing alongside them, showing the students their writing, displaying their struggles searching for the right words, and consulting one another for feedback. High school students feel the pressure of completing an assignment in one sitting, and it must be excellent writing. Urbanski stresses the metaphor of a coach and his/her student athletes--the student athletes value training because they see their coach values training by running, sweating, hydrating, and cramping right alongside them. In the same way, the writing teacher is like a coach; the students will value the writing process in order to produce the “final” product when they see their writing teacher modeling the process.
3) What questions do you have as a teacher who will be expected to implement one or more of these approaches and the related strategies associated with them?
-What strategies can teachers use that prevent writer's block? -What happens if a student chooses a controversial or banned book for class? -How do you work with students to avoid harsh criticism while allowing them to respond to another student’s text? -Is there a point where a reluctant student should be pushed more to read more literary works? - What if the structure of students’ writing is similar when the teacher show them the process of his/her writing? -If I show my own writing to my students, wouldn’t they try to imitate any points they see me making as a way to impress or please me?
-While you want to allot ample time for frequent writing, and time is a large impediment to students’ writing (they feel the pressure of completing an assignment), how can you create that opportunity of frequent writing without the constraints of time?
4) What questions might you have as a parent of a child who will be in these types of writing classrooms? How will you respond to these questions as a teacher of writing?
Why teacher has to do modeling every time? -Because students may not how to brainstorm or revising their writings. Modeling is the most effective way to help them. Why is my child doing so much free writing and not structured essay writing to prepare for test? -Free writing is a great way to enhance a student's ability to write. In free writing the words will begin to flow better by the day because your child's thoughts will become more fluent. Your child will be able to tackle any question including an essay question with ease.
-Will this help my child to become a stronger writer?
Yes. Students learn how to write best by writing about things that matter to them, and by working together. As students work and continue writing, there will be an improvement.
-Is there a good progression from more popular books to more literary?
Every child is encouraged to progress into more literary works; however they are encouraged to move at their own pace. All parents are recommended to work with their children in order to help and inspire them to push their usual limits.
Is workshopping really effective? I’ve had some bad experiences.
Workshopping, on the whole, really helps students by giving them people to talk to and work with in their writing. Weaker students also can get help from stronger students, who intern gain a better understanding of writing through having to explain it.
"Teaching Writing as a Process" (Dornan) Takeaways
DL:
even though the traditional methodologies were mechanical (example on p. 35 of the Philadelphia school curriculum), students need a foundation of instruction to write freely
a significant influence was the Anglo-American conference on the teaching of English in the summer of 1966
learned that the British emphasize a personal growth model based on the students' needs, interests, and linguistic growth, rather than on prescribed curriculum (like the Philadelphia example)
"the act of writing, the importance of classroom talk, the need to foster student's creativity as well as their intellectual ability" (36)
the writing process is like laying out all of the puzzle pieces before piecing together Mona Lisa's face
Murray's insights:
writer = "discover a subject (not write about one handed out by the teacher), think about a possible audience (not write to please the teacher), collect matieral for the writing, plan, write, revise" (37)
TEACHING WRITING ACROSS GRADE LEVELS -- JIGSAW ACTIVITY
DIRECTIONS & YOUR RESPONSIBILITY:
Now that you've highlighted your grade level chapter, work with your jigsaw group featuring members who read Interactive Writing, Awell, and Urbanski and present the most salient parts of your chapter briefly and then generate answers to the questions below. You can also consider any of the videos from the Writing Workshop wiki page as one of your texts for consideration as well. See what you are able to identify in common with your reading and what might stand out as well.You may work collaboratively on your Google Doc and then choose an archivist from your group to post your ideas directly on your wiki page below. Your ideas should be posted during Class 6 when we will share and discuss them together.
1) What are you learning new about approaches to teaching writing and also writing workshop (especially in terms of how it is different than the on your cluster, grade level, department, or school employs now and/or the chapter that your grade level group read about)?
Teaching writing in high school is equivalent to teaching students how to access knowledge except it is literally all in their mind. Free writing is emphasized as a great approach to teaching writing. Students will be able to write topics of interest. Free writing is a major part of the invention process. At times students may prefer that the teacher choose the topic but the work produced will not be as insightful if this method is used. The writing workshop is a time for students to freely write. There is a major emphasis on the word free.
Modeling for high school students is the most effective way to help them write. Modeling behavior is to show students how teachers write and the process of brainstorming and revision. Students see that you don’t just *have* a perfect draft the first time you write, needs several revisions. And students should feel comfortable and be allowed to make mistakes. A daybook is the best way not journal or diary. Plus, the author mentions that freewriting is not a waste of time.
In the middle grades, writing requires frequent and adequate time (at least three days a week) devoted to it in the classroom as well as outside of it. Reading should also be seen as an important component of the writing process. Students should be encouraged to talk and collaborate with one another, and should be seen as real writers who might publish works. When workshopping students should be encouraged to act with some independence. Students should be allowed to read works that they choose; however it is the teacher’s job to act as a guide to more literary work. Lectures should give the expectations for what students do in a workshop, but teachers should also be writing, reading and talking about both with their students.
2) How do the approaches to teaching writing and implementing writing workshop presented in the texts compare and contrast?
While in the middle grades, teaching writing seems to revolve around encouraging students to read and interact with the texts, as well as to impress on them what is expected of them in a social writing environment, high school writing instructors seem to be focusing on establishing ways for them to write better. It is already assumed that high school students have the motivation to write.
In addition, for high schoolers, they are primarily focused on grades and time--they want to write for a certain grade, not for the sake of writing, and they are controlled by the duration of writing, rather than allowing it to freely escape their minds and take the time for the revision and editing process. Thus, teachers can implement the writing workshop by writing alongside them, showing the students their writing, displaying their struggles searching for the right words, and consulting one another for feedback. High school students feel the pressure of completing an assignment in one sitting, and it must be excellent writing. Urbanski stresses the metaphor of a coach and his/her student athletes--the student athletes value training because they see their coach values training by running, sweating, hydrating, and cramping right alongside them. In the same way, the writing teacher is like a coach; the students will value the writing process in order to produce the “final” product when they see their writing teacher modeling the process.
3) What questions do you have as a teacher who will be expected to implement one or more of these approaches and the related strategies associated with them?
-What strategies can teachers use that prevent writer's block?
-What happens if a student chooses a controversial or banned book for class?
-How do you work with students to avoid harsh criticism while allowing them to respond to another student’s text?
-Is there a point where a reluctant student should be pushed more to read more literary works?
- What if the structure of students’ writing is similar when the teacher show them the process of his/her writing?
-If I show my own writing to my students, wouldn’t they try to imitate any points they see me making as a way to impress or please me?
-While you want to allot ample time for frequent writing, and time is a large impediment to students’ writing (they feel the pressure of completing an assignment), how can you create that opportunity of frequent writing without the constraints of time?
4) What questions might you have as a parent of a child who will be in these types of writing classrooms? How will you respond to these questions as a teacher of writing?
Why teacher has to do modeling every time?
-Because students may not how to brainstorm or revising their writings. Modeling is the most effective way to help them.
Why is my child doing so much free writing and not structured essay writing to prepare for test?
-Free writing is a great way to enhance a student's ability to write. In free writing the words will begin to flow better by the day because your child's thoughts will become more fluent. Your child will be able to tackle any question including an essay question with ease.
-Will this help my child to become a stronger writer?
Yes. Students learn how to write best by writing about things that matter to them, and by working together. As students work and continue writing, there will be an improvement.
-Is there a good progression from more popular books to more literary?
Every child is encouraged to progress into more literary works; however they are encouraged to move at their own pace. All parents are recommended to work with their children in order to help and inspire them to push their usual limits.
Is workshopping really effective? I’ve had some bad experiences.
Workshopping, on the whole, really helps students by giving them people to talk to and work with in their writing. Weaker students also can get help from stronger students, who intern gain a better understanding of writing through having to explain it.
"Teaching Writing as a Process" (Dornan) Takeaways
DL:"Getting Started" (Atwell) Takeaways
DB